It’s been nearly 100 years since Robert Street — a major corridor in our community — was significantly updated. Instead of speeding traffic and crumbling pavement, we deserve a safe and vibrant street that boosts our local businesses and makes it easy for all of us to get around.
But, in the past, we’ve seen how these types of public investments don’t benefit us. Big transportation projects disrupt our daily lives and, too often, they displace our neighbors and shutter our local businesses. That’s why WSCO has engaged hundreds of neighbors around the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s reconstruction of Robert Street.
Now is another critical moment for input: Take the Visual Quality Survey to help shape what Robert Street will look like in the future!
We know that many of you have already engaged around the Robert Street project, providing essential insight into our community vision for the street. In 2025, WSCO’s Robert Street Survey engaged nearly 230 residents to ensure our ideas are represented in the planning and feedback process. We also collaborated with the UMN Design Center team to conduct 7 community engagement events to map community priorities for the project, getting feedback from more than 300 participants.
So we already know that West Siders want:
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- environmentally friendly and beautiful public spaces including: parks, gardens, places to rest and sit, performance and entertainment spaces, playgrounds and more
- improved safety and traffic flow
- to amplify the cultural identity of the West Side and instill pride through murals and wayfinding to showcase the community’s many assets
Through the Robert Street Accountability Taskforce we made sure that the contractors working on the Visual Quality plan—the natural and built features that shape how a corridor looks and feels—received and responded to the input West Siders have already provided. Because of your feedback, the proposed design includes more plants and grass, more public seating, space for public art and opportunities to highlight the history of the area.
But the process isn’t over yet. Please take the Robert St. visual quality survey to review the design options and provide your input. Your feedback will help ensure the final visual quality recommendations reflect community needs and priorities.
The survey is available through Tuesday, May 26, and can be accessed in English and Spanish.